Good Night
by Lost Demon102
Summary: Naruto goes to his very own sensei, Iruka. It seems like the naughty boy, acting so tough, actually has problems. And like any other teacher, Iruka simply listens to Naruto and helps the boy out. Just a simple one shot for IruNaru...


A/N: IruNaru is a pairing that is less talked about! There were only seven English IruNaru fics when I made this! (grumble, grumble) So here is _my_ fic about them! That makes eight IruNaru English fics! Whee! And it's actually amazing that even if Iruka-sensei isn't seen much, he's in the Top 10 favorite character polls. I got that trivia from as well as some other trivia such as Iruka-sensei's hobby. (grin)

Well, I hope you enjoy this one shot! By the way, this was before Naruto graduated... And no icky stuff, okay? (pouts) It's only a father and son relationship thing, so please don't think wrong. I didn't make this fan fiction for bad thoughts. (pouts even more) Well, go on and read, then. (pout turns into a smile)

Disclaimer: I do not own the anime "Naruto" nor its characters...

O-O-O

Iruka was glad that it was actually Saturday. He had just finished checking the homework and test papers of his current students at the ninja academy that late afternoon then went to the hot springs to relax. He was the only one there, it seemed. Everyone, he thought, was having fun somewhere else, perhaps. Many were also probably having fun with their family. Iruka would know how it felt like to be with your family... and how it felt like to lose your family... Being alone was pretty sad. Iruka hated it.

"Hey... Is that you, sensei?"

Iruka blinked and turned to see who was behind him since he was facing the opposite where you actually enter the area. He saw one of his students standing just right behind him, by the hot spring. The young, 9-year-old boy was naked but he had a towel wrapped around his waist. Iruka noticed the frown on his face. He knew why it was there, why the frown existed.

"Naruto, why are you here?"

"What a stupid question!" Iruka thought to himself, "I perfectly know why the boy is here! Why did I have to go and ask?"

"I knew you'd be here, sensei."  
"You did?"  
"It's a hobby of yours, isn't it? Your hobby is going here to the hot springs, isn't it?"  
"Oh. Yes, Naruto, it is."

The blonde boy sat on the ground and removed the towel from his waist, when Iruka looked away, and slowly went into the hot water, beside his sensei. Naruto only stared at the water, silently. The frown was still on his face. Iruka couldn't see his student's eyes but he knew that they were the eyes of a sad orphan, instead of how his eyes were when he was a naughty little kid. Iruka sighed.

"There's something troubling you, isn't there, Naruto?"

Iruka knew the answer, once again, though this time, he felt like asking. He thought that maybe he could help the boy because Iruka knew how Naruto felt, living a childhood without a single parent. The fact is, Naruto _never_ had any parents, which makes the boy's childhood even worse.

Naruto looked at Iruka, with the frown still on his face, and then looked back at the water. "I feel sad, Iruka-sensei. My friends, Shikamaru, Choji and Kiba have... parents. They have a family and I don't. There's no one there for me to wait for after school. There's no one there to stay with me at home. There's no one to spend time with me during the holidays. There's no one to go to when something's bothering me. There's no one I can cry to when there's a problem. There's no one to hug me and kiss me on the forehead and say goodnight to me before I go to bed. There's no one... There's just no one... And maybe... maybe... there won't be any- anyone..."

Iruka stared at Naruto. And even though the man still couldn't see it, Iruka knew that Naruto was crying. He heard Naruto choke and sob. He felt sorry for the boy. He knew how he felt but it hurt, still.

"Naruto... Why don't we go and get some ramen?"  
Naruto didn't answer.  
"Naruto?"  
Naruto lifted one hand and rubbed his eyes. He looked at Iruka, and, yes, the frown did not disappear. "O- okay, sensei. It makes me feel a little better..."

Iruka helped the boy get out of the water and put the towel back around his little waist, with Naruto's back facing him. Iruka got out of the water and quickly got the towel he borrowed, putting it around his own waist. They went inside the locker room where they put their clothes back on. Holding Naruto's hand, as if he was the boy's father, Iruka brought Naruto to the Ichiraku Ramen Bar which was close by. Iruka ordered two bowls of ramen for Naruto and himself. Then, they simply ate, quietly.

"You know Naruto, you've got to have a little faith. No one may be there for you when you need them right now, but there may be someone in the future. Maybe today, later tonight there will be someone who will be there for you. Moments you wish to happen may sometimes happen unexpectedly, do you understand?"  
Naruto looked up at Iruka and nodded, but, yet again, the frown never went away.  
"There is always someone Naruto... Didn't you say there is no one for you to go to when something was bothering you or no one to go cry to when there was a problem? But you went to me, didn't you?"  
Naruto only looked at his sensei and said, "Yeah..." he looked at his ramen, "I forgot about that..."  
"You see, Naruto, there will always be someone."  
"I guess you're right, sensei. Thanks."

With that, Naruto finished his ramen and got off his seat, ready to go home.

"Naruto."

Naruto turned around to look back at Iruka. Iruka waved his hand, showing that he wanted Naruto to come closer. So then, Naruto did. Iruka carried the boy and placed him on his lap. He patted him on the head, making Naruto close one eye and looked up, trying to see Iruka's hand, with the other eye. Iruka stopped patting and then started to brush the boy's hair. Naruto reopened his closed eye and tried to see Iruka's hand once more.

Iruka chuckled. He removed his hand from the boys head. Naruto still kept his eyes on the hand. But when Iruka placed his hand on his lap, right beside Naruto, Naruto looked up at his sensei. He looked so innocent, which made Iruka wonder why everyone would despise the boy. Naruto had the Kyubi in him, he had the creature that killed Iruka's parents in him, but Iruka only hated the monster. He didn't hate the boy at all, not one little bit. He even has a soft spot for him.

"Why aren't you smiling anymore, sensei?"

Iruka blinked, looking down at Naruto. "Oh. I was only thinking of something, Naruto." Iruka said, smiling. The smile convinced Naruto and he cuddled in his sensei's lap. Iruka smiled a lot more and couldn't help but cradle his student in his arms, slowly. It really looked like he was the boy's father, now.

Iruka then stood up and placed Naruto, now asleep, on his arms, carrying him. Like a careful father, he held Naruto with one hand and paid for the two bowls of ramen. Then he pushed Naruto a little more up his chest, with the hand he was using to hold him, so the boy wouldn't fall. He placed his free arm on Naruto's back, the other was under Naruto's little bottom, after positioning Naruto's head so it would rest on his shoulder. He also positioned Naruto's arms so it looked like Naruto was hugging Iruka. Then when satisfied and assured that Naruto was safe in his arms, he brought the 9-year-old to his own home. Naruto would probably appreciate it that he could stay at his sensei's house for one night. Iruka did it just so that Naruto won't be lonely. Maybe Naruto would see it as a sleepover. Iruka smiled at the thought.

Iruka wasn't use to it, carrying a child in his arms. He wasn't a father. He wasn't even married yet. Iruka put aside the thought. Naruto slept quietly in his arms which made the 20-year-old man smile again. Once Iruka reached his house, he went straight to his bedroom. He placed Naruto on the bed and placed the sheets over the boy to keep him warm. Naruto rolled into a ball and slept peacefully on his sensei's bed. Iruka smiled once again and sat on the chair in front of his desk.

He kept smiling, watching over Naruto, until he felt sleepy and decided to sleep. He moved aside some pieces of paper on his desk, those that were the homework and test papers he just finished checking. He placed his arms on the desk and rested his head on them and closed his eyes. Iruka fell asleep after, no later than around five minutes.

O-O-O

"No. I don't... I don't want to... I don't want to be... Why? Why are you all staring at me like that?"

"Stay away from him..."

"Did I do something wrong? How come you all hate me? You're all avoiding me... Why?"

"It's him."

"What did I do? What did I do to make this happen? I didn't do anything!"

Naruto started with only whispering to himself but then soon, he started yelling. It was dark. He could hear voices. He knew very well that these were the voices of the villagers. He only didn't understand why the villagers were saying such things.

"Naruto..."

Naruto looked behind him to see a man he knew well. "Sensei?"

"You..."  
"What is it, sensei?" Naruto sniffed.  
"You... You BAKEMONO!"  
"What? Iruka-sensei... What do you mean?"  
Iruka slapped Naruto on the cheek, making his student land on his bottom. "You monster! You're the monster who killed my parents! I... I HATE YOU!"  
"Sensei..." Naruto whispered, rubbing his cheek where he has just been slapped, with tears stinging his eyes.

O-O-O

"Sensei... Sensei. Sensei... Sensei, sensei, sensei. Sensei! Sensei! SENSEI!"

"Naruto! Wake up! Naruto!"

Blue eyes cracked open. A 9-year-old student sat up on a bed with a few drops of sweat rolling down his face, slowly. The blonde, as we all know as Uzumaki Naruto, looked to his side to see his relieved teacher. Iruka sighed then looked at him with a smile. "Did you have a nightmare, Naruto?"

Naruto looked to his left, at the clock on the bedside table. It was only 2:00 AM in the morning. Naruto looked back at Iruka and nodded, with, yet, another frown. Iruka frowned as well. "Well, dreams are just dreams. You better go back to sleep."  
"Sensei."  
"What is it, Naruto?"  
"Sleep beside me, please. I don't want to..."  
"What?"  
"I don't want to be alone anymore..."

Iruka merely stared at Naruto who was clenching the sheets tightly and who was looking down. The boy's lips were moving in a way a person's mouth would be when trying to prevent himself or herself from crying. Iruka blinked and stared at Naruto's hands as they clenched the sheets a little bit tighter. Iruka closed his eyes and curved his lips to a smile. "Okay, Naruto. I'll sleep beside you."

Naruto turned his head to his right, looked up and stared at his teacher who seemed almost like... a father to him. Iruka sat on the bed and placed a hand on Naruto's chest. Like a father, Iruka let Naruto lie down by pushing his upper body gently, down to the bed. Removing his hand from the boy's chest, Iruka got under the sheets. Naruto rolled himself into a ball one more time. Iruka rolled to his side, now facing his student, and wrapped his arms around the boy's small and rolled up body, only making Naruto cuddle a little more. Iruka kissed the boy's forehead.

"Good night, Naruto."

"So there _was_ someone to hug me, kiss me and say good night before going to bed. Thank you... Iruka-sensei."

Iruka smiled for the moment he had been waiting for arrived, the moment when the boy's lips finally curved into a smile... There was no more a frown, just a "Good night." from Naruto.

O-O-O

A/N: That's all... Did I suck or something? I only made it because I was annoyed only to find seven English IruNaru fan fictions. My friend even joked around and told me to learn more languages so I could read the other IruNaru fics. Ah well, this is just a tribute! Reviews are appreciated. (smile)


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